HEAD & NECK CANCERS

The success of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy observed in hematologic malignancies has not yet translated into the solid tumor setting; however, efforts continue to try to bring this new modality into the treatment paradigm for solid tumors, including pancreatic cancer. 

The healthcare community is still awaiting a response from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to the opposition of the agency’s proposal to substantially revise the Medicare Part D protected drug classes.

Overtreating men 70 years or older with prostate cancer cost Medicare more than $1.2 billion from 2004 to 2007, according to the results of a retrospective study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare linked database.

Based on data from the phase III KEYNOTE-048 trial, pembrolizumab has received a priority review designation from the FDA alone or in combination with platinum and 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

General Cancer

The PD-1 inhibitor cemiplimab in combination with radiotherapy, cyclophosphamide, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor did not demonstrate efficacy superior to other PD-1 inhibitor monotherapies in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, according to results from a phase I expansion cohort that were presented at the 2018 ESMO Congress.

AstraZeneca has reported that the phase III EAGLE trial has missed its primary endpoint, as patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy did not see a survival benefit with durvalumab alone or combined with tremelimumab.

James L. Wade III, MD, FACP, FASCO, discusses the importance of clinical trials in the community.

I think one of the most important advancements in biomedical technology that has improved our understanding of the complexities of cancer is the ability to sequence the cancer genome for any individual patient, in a rapid and cost-effective manner, to help us make treatment decisions in the clinic.

Groundbreaking developments in cancer therapies can change lives, extending survival and sending patients who previously thought their chances were slim into remission. But these therapies come at a cost, and many patients reel at the prospect of heavy financial burdens. To help patients and programs meet the challenges of affording cancer treatments, community cancer centers are expanding the role of financial advocates in their organizations.

Thomas A. Gallo, MS, MDA, president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers, discusses his mission as president to “reflect, renew, and reignite” in order to create a more resilient oncology team for the community.

Larotrectinib induced an objective response rate of 80% in patients with advanced solid tumors who harbored&nbsp;<em>NTRK&nbsp;</em>gene fusions, according to results pooled from 3 small trials of the TRK inhibitor. Results were presented during the 2018 ESMO Congress.

Rising prescription drug prices continue to add to the burden of paying for quality healthcare. In an effort to confront such costs, the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services has rescinded a prohibition on step therapy for Medicare Advantage plans. But some contend such a policy will reduce patient access to optimal medication.

An overall response rate of 39% was induced with the combination of the CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib and cetuximab in patients with platinum-resistant, HPV-unrelated recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.